The Divergence of Haruhi Suzumiya
by Hejin57
Summary: Kyon's problems with Haruhi had always been bad, but he never imagined something of this scale.  How can he divert his universe away from a path into another Big Bang, and cope with love at the same time?  A reboot to my first and best story!
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this is a somewhat surprise, ain't it?**

**After almost two years of no Haruhi related writing, I have decided to return to the beloved series that first gave me minimal notoriety as a writer around these parts. For awhile, I was toying with what I'd do with my series and if I'd even continue The Infinity of Haruhi Suzumiya in the first place. But about a month ago, I got inspiration and decided I would do something new.**

**This is that new thing. If you've read my story series from Attraction to Normalcy, you'll get a lot of little references in this unraveling tale. However, it is not a continuation of any of those stories, but rather a reboot. It's a different interpretation of what some have called my best story. A much better written and well-thought out interpretation, of course. **

**Now, if you haven't read any of my previous Haruhi tales, then this is a chance for you start fresh and read something new that I've concocted. Because honestly, this story will actually be finished, and this will most likely mark my final and greatest contribution to the Haruhi fandom. It's going to hopefully be a fun and memorable ride, so stay tuned.**

**It's good to be back. Enjoy the story, and expect regular updates. Just like it used to be.**

**~ Hejin57**

* * *

How old was this bike of mine? As I sat atop the largest street incline I could find in this city, my foot on the brake to keep myself from plummeting downward, I couldn't help but allow myself to wonder the age of my sacred little vehicle. Thinking back, I believed that I've had since I was ten. Time does indeed fly.

You're probably wondering why I'm here in the first place. I've got my reasons. It's a Saturday night, and there's nothing to do. That, and I'm pretty sure that you have no idea what my situation is.

A long time ago, you might have been just like me. In fact, you might still be that way. Let's just assume that for the time being.

You have a strong belief in everything and anything extraordinary. You've dreamed of the day when you'll actually witness espers battling paranormal menaces in the streets. You've wondered when aliens will come visit our race, and what gifts or horrors they might bring. You've hoped for a sweet time traveler to come by your bedside, whisper in your ear, and then take you away to a happier future.

If all these things read true to you, then yes, we were once very alike. I used to believe in those things. I used to hope in my heart that they were true. I didn't know when they'd arrive in my life, or if even at all, but still I hoped.

Well, it's safe to say things have changed. I think differently now.

The funny thing is that my opinion did not change in the way I thought it would.

Today, in this modern day of human society, where we continue to go forward with our lives like ants in one giant colony, I now believe in these things; these espers, aliens and time travelers, more than ever. In fact, I know they exist, without a reasonable doubt.

How did I acquire such knowledge, you ask? Well, before you deduce that I am insane, there's someone you should talk to if you ever get the chance.

She's just a girl. An extraordinary, bossy, and overly eccentric girl. What's her name, you ask?

It's Haruhi. Haruhi Suzumiya. And she, believe it or not, was the reason for everything.

* * *

_ After over a year and half hiatus..._

_**Hejin57 presents**_

_** ~THE DIVERGENCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA~**_

* * *

Haruhi...at times, it has felt like you were a huge thorn in my side. What good have you done for me? Dragged me into a club I never intended on joining, rendered me helpless as you abused poor Asahina-san, and treated me as little more than a glorified lackey.

But despite the pain, and despite my constant annoyance towards you, you've managed to do something useful. You've kept my life interesting. How would I have ever guessed that you'd be the closest thing to God that I'd ever known?

So now that these facts have been established, why is it then that I'm on this incline, waiting for the moment when I decide to take my foot off the brake? I'll be honest to you. Haruhi...she hasn't been the most interesting person for the last few weeks.

Our last weekend city search took place last month. Since then, Haruhi has regularly canceled Brigade meetings after school for no apparent reason. When we do have club meetings, I find myself playing chess against Koizumi the whole time and drinking up Asahina-san's sweet tea. Nagato sits in her usual corner, reading yet another science fiction novel that I don't recognize. Our leader is at the computer, a bored look on her face as she probably surfs the web with no real goal in mind.

All in all, we've done nothing for the last few weeks. Before I had really been a part of the club, before I had really gotten to know Haruhi, I wouldn't have seen this as so much of a problem. But now that I know the truth about all four of my fellow SOS Brigade members, a majority of my being longs for excitement.

And since Haruhi isn't delivering, I've had no choice but to trust in the excitement that this incline might provide. Finally, after what seemed like eons of internal struggle, I take my foot off the break.

My bike rolled forward slowly at first, as if some invisible force was holding it back but gradually failing. I could feel the bike speeding up soon enough, and in seconds I find myself staring ahead as the air around me flies by. I can hear the sound of rubber scratching the ground below. Street lights fly by like globules of light. I rushed past a stop sign, a closed store, a few parked cars, and it seemed like this ride was beginning to deliver the ecstasy I've been wanting all this time.

I closed my eyes and tried to take in everything around me. The wind, the sound of my bike speeding downward; the whole atmosphere was becoming enchanting. Opening my eyes again, I noticed too late that this little excursion might not have been the smartest decision.

From the top of the street, I would have never noticed the medium-sized pothole waiting for me at the bottom. I felt my bike fly up from beneath me as the front tire fell forward into the hole. The speeding world around me came to a agonizing halt as I became weightless for the brief moment. Then came the pain when my body hit the sidewalk, shoulder first. I tried not to yell, but a loud grunt of pain still escaped from lips.

And so for the next few minutes, I laid on the ground, wishing silently that the pain would just magically disappear. When it didn't, I mustered up the courage to get myself up and retrieve my bike. The back wheel was still spinning when I reached it, and though it killed my shoulder, I managed to pull it out of the hole. Mounting my vehicle, I couldn't help but check the time.

Eleven minutes to ten. It was getting late, and I probably should have been home awhile ago. The shortest route would be up that incline, but with the condition my shoulder was in, their was no way in hell I was going to trudge back up there. Sighing to myself, I made my way around the nearest street corner.

I guessed I'd be a little late coming home. Was that really so bad?

* * *

My watch told me that it was approaching five minutes past ten, and luckily, I was only a block away from home. Kicking it up a notch, I ignored the pain in my shoulder as I pedaled faster.

Reaching the street I lived on, a smile formed on my face as I thought about the warm bed waiting for me up in my room. But as I readied myself to continue, something stopped me from putting my foot on the pedal again.

From where I was, I could see Haruhi up ahead on the sidewalk. The weird part about it all was that she was walking away from the direction that I was going. I couldn't help but wonder what was she doing around here at this time?

Was she looking for me? From what I could discern, it was just Haruhi, unless the esper, alien and time traveler had gained the ability to become invisible, and they were in on some cruel joke Haruhi was playing on me right now. But that was a little too ridiculous of notion now that I think about it...even for Haruhi.

Maybe Haruhi was looking for me after all. I wondered why. For all I knew, it was probably something stupid that could have been resolved more reasonably. But knowing Haruhi, nothing ever seemed reasonable.

And so, I let her go on her way without revealing myself to her. When she was completely out of sight, I made my way home. After I'd put my bike away and gotten a quick bite from the refrigerator, I could feel my body beginning to unwind as I crawled into bed.

My shoulder stung a bit, but it wasn't too bad. Still, I wondered if Haruhi had really been looking for me before. Maybe if I had come a little earlier I would have run into her. I laughed internally, and one of Koizumi's speeches about parallel universes and the possibilities echoed in my thoughts.

It was a little ridiculous, but my mind couldn't help but think that maybe there was a what-if scenario like that out there. Maybe some other version of myself, in some other version of this universe, ran into Haruhi before she could leave. Maybe that version was even home when she came looking. But what would she want anyway?

"I'm spending the night at your house, Kyon! It's necessary for the Brigade Chief to bond with her lackeys!" Haruhi said, her face practically glowing in the night.

Imagining those words, and the look on Haruhi's face, I laughed out loud this time. Even for her, that would be highly unlikely.

And so, with my thoughts slowly slipping away from me, my mind gave into the bliss of sleep. Tomorrow was another day, and it was then that I would probably ask Haruhi about seeing her on this night...

* * *

The morning hike. Have I said before that it always made be feel like Sisyphus? Like the boulder he was forced to roll up a mountainside, going on my daily hike felt like it would be for eternity as well. In reality, I had only about another year and a half of doing it, but even that was still awhile.

My shoulder had only gotten slightly better since last night. I should have probably gotten it checked out, but for some reason I felt too lazy to do so. Now I could only hope that Haruhi wasn't in the mood to give us any excessive labor to do later today. That would definitely not be in my favor.

My journey to homeroom was Taniguchi-free, for once. Usually he catches up with me on the hike to school, but this time he was notably absent. In the back of my mind, I remembered Taniguchi's reaction when he had found out the rumor that Tsuruya had a crush on someone in my class. He had been utterly crazed about it when I last spoke to him, so I'm guessing he's spending more time trying to find out Tsuruya's new love interest rather than join me on my hike.

And honestly, I couldn't wish for more. That guy can be a real annoyance. But still not in Haruhi's league, of course.

And on the topic of Haruhi Suzumiya, she was in her usual seat behind me as I entered our homeroom. Haruhi's eyes were focused on whatever was outside, and it seemed to me like one of those times where she could possibly be deep in thought. So maybe this wasn't the best time to talk to her.

"Hey Haruhi."

I guess I have little self-control. No, this kind of thing was tradition by now.

I heard Haruhi grunt or grumble. Not much of a response.

"Bored again?" I asked her, knowing the answer would be quite obvious.

Haruhi gave me a very serious glare, and I could easily tell that she had interpreted my question as a stupid one. Lucky me.

"What do you think? Of course I'm bored, Kyon! When was the last time something exciting happened around here? As far as I know, we've gotten nothing so far!"

And that's your problem, Haruhi. You don't know. Between closed spaces, Nagato remaking the world, the endless summer vacation, and our first experience with you almost destroying the world because of your own melancholy, it's safe to say that plenty of exciting stuff has been happening around here. You're just unaware of it all.

"I guess we've got an unlucky streak. It happens to all great organizations once in awhile."

I held in the urge to laugh at my own statement. Calling the SOS Brigade a great organization is like calling the Eva 01 cute. They're just not very compatible when used in the same context.

"Well, for your information, Kyon...we're not JUST a great organization. We're the SOS Brigade, and we accept nothing less than perfection. And if I had things my way, we'd have aliens landing on the school track, waiting for us to come meet them!"Haruhi declared, and her voice was becoming so loud that I was beginning to think we were drawing attention to ourselves.

Wait a second...what am I saying? She'd draw attention to herself if she walked into a damn room. I bet that idiot Taniguchi was already snickering to himself over there...

It was about this time that I remembered what I was going to ask Haruhi.

"Hey" I began, treading carefully with my words, "I could have sworn I saw you walking near my street the other night."

Haruhi seemed surprised at my statement. She crossed her arms and replied with noticeable uneasiness in her voice.

"You need to get your eyes checked, Kyon. I've got more important things to do than to go looking for you. You better get that through your thick skull quickly!"

Maybe it was my imagination, but it almost seemed like Haruhi was turning a little red. I decided that I would leave this ambiguous for the time being.

"I'm just saying what I saw. Maybe it was someone who looked like you."

Yeah, that's a stretch. But this wasn't the time to argue with Haruhi.

"Maybe it's an alien who became my doppelganger. Or maybe you just have an overactive imagination. Anyway, I'm going to go do some research during the lunch break, so it's your job today to make sure the club room isn't all messed up for after school. If I come back and it's not spotless, they'll be a major fine for you to pay!"

I looked at Haruhi and wondered why she had to tell me to do such a dreaded task.

"But Asahina-san keeps the room tidy all the time. Wouldn't I just be messing up her excellent handiwork if I tried cleaning it myself?" I said to Haruhi, hoping I would get through her thick skull for once.

"Mikuru-chan is busy during the lunch break. That's why you're going to do it. The Brigade Chief has no time for excuses." Haruhi stated, and it was about this time that I realized it was no use. In the end, my shoulder would be in just a little more pain after today.

Forgive me for trying to use you as an excuse, Asahina-san. As you might understand, sometimes Haruhi makes us act in very questionable ways.

* * *

When lunch break came, I found myself in my alternate routine again. Instead of spending it with Taniguchi and Kunikida, I was heading to the clubroom. It was one of my rituals by now, but instead of sacrificing virgin girls, I was sacrificing myself to appease a God. But in all honesty, I've stopped being annoyed about it like I used to be. Despite how much Haruhi can get on my nerves, I still come to her club.

Maybe's it's Asahina-san's tea. Maybe I'm just there to listen to Koizumi. Maybe I'm lecherous and like to stare at Nagato. No, definitely not that.

Either way, it doesn't really matter why I went. The point was that I still went.

Opening the door to the clubroom, I was greeted by two familiar faces. Well, only one of them actually greeted me.

Koizumi looked more serious than usual, but he still took the time to acknowledge my existence.

"Kyon-kun. Good to see you."

Nice to see you too, esper. I took my usual seat, giving Nagato a passing glance. She had ignored me so far. Peering over, I could see she was reading another one of her sci-fi novels. Something new, I guessed.

"So what theory are we discussing today? Haruhi's not here, so it's practically an open forum." I said sarcastically, but Koizumi didn't even chuckle. He set his hands neatly in front of him, and something was already telling me that this was no time for jokes.

"It's funny you asked. Would you happen to know anything about the concept of a parallel universe?"

Strange how I was thinking about that just last night. Hopefully Koizumi wasn't reading my mind. But now that he's talking about parallel universes, I can only assume that Haruhi is the root cause of it all. To hell with assuming, I know it's all her fault already!

"I've heard of them. There's probably one where I'm either evil or a girl. What's your point?"

Koizumi chuckled this time. Putting his hands on his lap now, he directed his gaze at Nagato.

"I think Nagato-san can take it from here. As it is, I have little information on this matter. But I can assure you...it has everything to do with Suzumiya-san, as you might already be thinking."

My gaze now switched from the esper to the alien. Nagato closed her book, and looked directly at me. Her eyes showed such little emotion, but even that hint of restlessness in them was enough for me. I waited silently, wondering what this alien had to say.

"I have been given permission to relay forthcoming data. Though my alternate self is not aware of it, the data will continue to stream from its source point. Events are about to come to pass that were not projected by the Integrated Data Thought Entity. And you are the reason for this." Nagato told me, and as usual, I was not surprised. Whenever something happened, either Haruhi caused it, or I did. That was just the way it is.

"So what are you saying, Nagato? Is something wrong with the future or something? Maybe Asahina-san's people know about it." I asked, hoping for a less complicated answer, but knowing I'd probably get the opposite.

Nagato blinked once. Rarely do I see her do that.

"It has yet to be determined if they still exist."

What? I felt my heart skip a beat. Now this was getting a little more serious than I had previously thought.

"What does this all mean, Nagato?"

A simple question. All I wanted was a simple answer.

The lithe alien girl seemed unable to say anything for a moment, as if she was processing everything that had just been said. Then, she opened her mouth, and her voice was strangely quiet, but grave as well. Still, I could somehow make out her words.

"Divergence has begun."

Divergence. If I had only known then what would be in store for me from here on out. Divergence was just a word, of course, but when it came to Haruhi Suzumiya, that single word had suddenly become so much more...

* * *

**Divergence begins, and what a beginning it was. Hope you've enjoyed it. A new chapter will arrive soon enough!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey party people! Guess who's back with a new chapter? I can't let my good friend Jon take all the reviews, can I? Friendly competion never _hurt_ anyone. Much.  
**

**But on a more serious note, I'm gonna give him a personal hand for being my beta. It's always helpful to have a second opinion for my writing. Anyway, Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The longer that I processed Nagato's word in my head, the more obvious it was that this was no regular Haruhi occurrence. Divergence: a word that meant to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point. I couldn't help but wonder; did this mean that Haruhi had really recreated the world again? Did she do it so fast that somehow none of us had immediately noticed? As I pondered these and more questions in my head, I was struggling to decipher the explanation being given to me by the light-haired alien.

"...this divergence will cause unforeseen abnormalities for the current and future state of the Integrated Thought Data Entity. It is unknown if the interfaces will remain immune to the dislocation of data through realspace, but there is a possibility that I will be adversely affected by this change. But do not retain negative thoughts on the subject. I have taken counter measures to prevent another extensive incident."

Alright, at least I could figure out some of that. I opened my mouth, hoping my words could momentarily break the stream of information that Nagato was delivering.

"I'm not fully understanding all this, Nagato. You've said divergence twice now. What does it have to do with Haruhi?" I asked, hoping for a simple answer, but knowing that I would not get one.

The slender alien had instantly stopped talking the moment I uttered my first word and instead was staring back at me. It was like the Library of Alexandria was embedded in my face, and Nagato needed every last second to suck all its contents up. Then, she blinked again, and answered me in an unfamiliar voice. It was almost as if she was talking to me like I was a little kid.

"Haruhi Suzumiya has been the source of some of the most significant explosions of data in this universe. This divergence is a similar occurrence, and it mirrors the same data explosion that occurred four years ago. Once again, the amount of data is incalculable, even for the Entity. Thus, we have come to one plausible conclusion in response to this phenomenon."

My mind filled with excitement all of a sudden. Now I was starting to get some clear answers, and there was no way in hell I was just letting them slip away!

"And what conclusion is that?"

Don't tell me. Haruhi wasn't really God. She's just a patient in a mental asylum, and we're all just figments of her twisted imagination. Then again, maybe I'm the patient, and maybe it's my twisted imagination.

Chances are I'll never get to find out...

"Data in this universe has been reconfigured to such a degree that projected events will no longer take place. Sentient beings will make different choices, and the elimination and creation of data is no longer relative to the Entity's previous calculations." Nagato told me, and to be honest, it made me feel lost all over again.

I put a hand on my forehead, wondering how any of this talk would actually help me . I wasn't completely understanding it, but I knew it involved Haruhi, and it was big.

"Forgive me for intruding, Nagato-san, but this may be a bit much for Kyon-kun." Koizumi said, and his voice had suddenly reminded me he was still in this room with us. Haruhi and Asahina-san still remained absent.

"Maybe you have an easier explanation for me, esper?" I asked sarcastically. Despite my tone, I hoped he really did have something easier to swallow. My head was pounding enough from a mixture of stress and confusion.

"I do. And it is one that won't take too much thinking on your part to understand." Koizumi chuckled, which annoyed me just as much as not understanding the majority of Nagato's jargon.

There was a sound of shuffling papers, and I could see that Koizumi was reaching into his backpack. He pulled out a sheet of lined paper and a pen, and I could see that he was beginning to draw what looked like a bunch of parallel lines. After about three lines, he stopped, and looked up at me as if to make sure I was still paying attention.

"As you might recall, Kyon, I asked you about parallel universes when you walked in here. Now let me see if I can make what Nagato said a little easier to understand." he began. It was a bit weird, but part of me wanted to know how Nagato felt with Koizumi just taking over her explanation. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if Nagato had the capability to doubt herself, and if that was what she was doing right now.

"Kyon, do you know what a world line is?" Koizumi asked, pulling me out of my own thoughts for a moment.

Off the top of my head, I didn't know. "Is this another theory?" I asked, but Koizumi just smiled and shook his head. I could already feel my brow furrowing.

"Not exactly. It's more of a general idea. As you can see, I've drawn three lines on this piece of paper. These lines represent three separate world lines, completely distinct from each other. They never cross, and so the series of events that take place in each never intertwine with another."

Koizumi then drew a smaller line branching out of one of the larger ones. Slowly, I was beginning to understand.

"This world line, the one branching off a much larger one, represents where we are. I don't know as much as Nagato-san, but the Organization has concluded that we've switched onto an alternate world line. Some event has happened that was not originally supposed to happen, and it is most likely attributed to Suzumiya-san."

Most likely was an understatement. Koizumi's explanation had hit home, however. I could hear what was coming next before he even said it.

"Although this is just a theory, some people in the Organization think that Suzumiya-san has remade the universe once again."

If my head was a subway station, then it must have been packed. Different thoughts zoomed around in response to Koizumi's statement.

So the world has been remade? Why? Is Haruhi aware this time? How have I been changed? Have I even been changed?

Would I even be aware of it? Of course not...

As I leaned back in my chair, and looked back at Koizumi with an unsure expression, I wondered how I could possibly do anything about all this. I was beginning to remember world lines now. I had watched an American movie years ago where some crazy doctor was scrawling on a chalkboard and yelling like a maniac. Then he and a younger boy decided only their time-traveling car could help them set the world lines back to their original places.

I personally hated that movie. But for all it's bad worth at least it helped me remember what a world line was in the first place.

"So how exactly do we intend to fix this? If Haruhi's already remade the universe, how can it be fixed? It's already been done. Might as well call it the 8th day already..." I said in an attempt to make a joke. No one laughed, as expected.

"We are trying our best, right now. The Organization and Nagato's people have their role to play in all this, and as it is, Asahina-san and her people are having their own troubles. What's most important, however, is what you need to do."

I sat back up in my chair, and looked Koizumi straight in the eyes.

"And what role is that?"

The esper's face was more serious than usual. I had feared what he would say next.

"That is yet to be determined. I can only hope when the time comes, you'll be able to figure it out."

I sighed. How did I not see this coming? It seemed with these people, the solution to the situation was always left in the hands of the most normal one in the bunch. And that normal person was always me.

I checked my watch, and suddenly I realized that I still had to clean the room for Haruhi. I didn't really want to do it, but I also didn't really want to deal with her after school.

"Well, that's reassuring", I said sarcastically. "Too bad Haruhi still needs me to clean the room."

Nagato's voice pierced the momentary silence.

"I will take care of it. All that will be required can be accomplished with simple data manipulation. Haruhi Suzumiya will not notice discrepancies in the condition of this space."

I felt a small smile come onto my face. Nagato was offering to help me. I guessed that now I owed her one. Well, truthfully, I owed her a lot by now.

"I guess I'll be going then. Maybe I can find a way to calm Haruhi down before something else happens." I told Nagato and Koizumi. However, the esper had words for me just as my hand found the doorknob.

"I must warn you, Kyon, that the situation may only worsen. The Organization has noticed significant emotional changes in Suzumiya-san. We don't know exactly what they are, but we do know that the universe will not be in a good position if they continue. Just be sure to keep that in mind."

I looked back at Koizumi and nodded. I've dealt with Haruhi's emotions before. This probably wasn't such a big deal. What was the worst that could happen?

* * *

I tossed and I turned, but my body just wouldn't budge. I stuffed my face into my pillow, wondering if I should suffocate myself long enough that I'd fall unconscious. Then I flipped over and decided that was probably a stupid idea.

I've always hated nights like this, where I could never fall asleep. They were rare, but when they came, they made themselves unforgettable.

Haruhi, won't you please leave the confines of my thoughts already?

As I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling and wishing for the bliss of sleep, I wondered. Haruhi was in my thoughts, and she was bothering me.

Out of all the things Koizumi had said to me, his last few words hit me the most. It's ironic how I was more worried about Haruhi's emotional state rather than the idea of all of us suddenly being placed in an alternate universe. Something about that idea, the idea of Haruhi's emotions changing, intrigued me.

But really, why should I care? It's not like Haruhi's in love or something.

Sometimes I wished to myself that I had asked Haruhi out the day I met her, instead of fueling her fantasies. Maybe under my influence, under the light of a romantic moon or something similar, she might have turned out to be a more normal girl. Maybe I would have been able to rectify the mistakes I had made during my time as John Smith.

Or maybe not. Dating Haruhi would probably be similar to exercising freedom under a fascist government. You're dead before you even hit the ground.

* * *

You know for once, I was feeling pretty great.

Want to know why? Despite not getting the most desirable amount of sleep, my dreams had been free of Haruhi and her madness. In addition, I never had to clean the clubroom the other day, and I felt as if that set off a positive chain of events that led up directly to this moment.

And so, with my bag slung over my shoulder, I couldn't help but feel okay. Haruhi hadn't been around yesterday like she had said; another thing added to the positive chain leading up to now. This meant she had never checked the room, and when I was there, it was still as clean as a whistle thanks to Nagato's efforts. Smiling, I wondered what today would be like as I opened up the door to the clubroom.

At least the room would be spotless. Nothing could possibly go wrong now.

"Kyon! You idiot! Look at all this mess!"

When I heard Haruhi's voice, my heart sank. My mind turned to ooze. My soul withered inside me, and everything I had dreamed of being perfect this afternoon came crumbling down like buildings during a kaiju attack.

Haruhi was right about something for once. Despite how impossible it might sound, I could indeed see that the clubroom was in disarray. Splotches of tea seemed to paint the floor, and assorted textbooks found their way around the room in random piles. A chair was upside down in one corner, the window was wide open, and somehow a fan had been dismantled completely. Its blade was lodged into the surface of the table, and I had to blink twice just to make sure I was seeing that right.

The clubroom looked like a war zone, but there was no way this could have been my fault. However, the expression on Haruhi's face made me think she thought otherwise.

Just behind most of the wreckage, Haruhi was leaning by the window, her arms crossed and a terrible glare on her face. She scowled as she stomped towards me, eventually pointing an accusing finger right between my eyes.

"I told you to clean the clubroom during the break yesterday...and this is what I arrive to? You keep this stuff up and you'll become an even lower rank than you already are, Kyon!" Haruhi screamed, and it was at this point that part of me wanted to just leave and never come back. But alas, I could not do such a thing. I wouldn't get three feet from the clubroom door before Haruhi would be on me like a rabid wolf.

"Calm down, alright? I swear to you that I cleaned it the other day! Something must have happened!" I protested in an attempt to gain Haruhi's mercy. Instead, turned around to get a good look at the condition of the room again.

"Look at this. You think these things just happen out of thin air? Idiot! You must have had some crazy party with that moron Taniguchi! How dare you use the Brigade's resources for your own personal pleasure!"

I was pretty sure that Haruhi had gone right off her rocker by now. In my mind, I was trying hard to think of what could have possibly caused the room to end up like this.

One solution hit me the most...but there was no way Haruhi was capable of that.

There was no way that Haruhi, with a mindset that probably wanted the room to be a mess so she could find a reason to berate me, would inadvertently use her power as God to ruin the clubroom to her sick satisfaction.

If that is true, then I bow my head in shame, and Nagato's efforts to help me were all in vain.

I sighed before answering Haruhi's idiotic statement.

"Alright, just tell me the punishment now. Let's get the pain over with. Whatever it is...money, labor, an eternity of servitude. Let's just get it done."

Haruhi then did something that worried me all over again. That glint had appeared in her eye, and to me, it meant she was onto another ridiculous idea. She smiled wide, grabbed me by tie, and stared me straight in the face.

Why did just have to be us today? Curse that esper and his imaginary job!

"Saturday, at 8 AM sharp, meet me right in front of the cafe. Once you get there, and you better be there on time, I'll decide your punishment."

And with that, Haruhi let me go, grabbed her bag from the nearby chair, and was out of the room before I could even say a word.

Did I want to say a word? Not really. But at least Haruhi was gone now, and she was quick to leave too. Still, I could only hope the coming punishment was something I could bear.

I might have traded places with Rasputin at this point to avoid whatever Haruhi would be putting me through tomorrow...

* * *

**And our plot truly begins! New chapter coming soon, so stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter comin' your way, party people! Don't you just love the frequent updating? I miss these good 'ol days.**

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With a life like mine, there have been plenty of moments in which I've felt like Alice taking a peek through through the Looking Glass. In fact, now that I think about it, Alice and I seem to share some things in common. We're both trapped in a Wonderland of sorts, and it's one populated with all manner of unique characters.

The question is, Alice seemed to want to be in her Wonderland. Do I want to be in mine?

That question was going through my head over and over again as I stared out the window. My face was blank, and my body felt pretty empty. You try waiting for Haruhi and then you can tell me how enthusiastic you are about it. Especially considering the fact that I still have no idea what kind of punishment she's going to subject me to.

I continue to wait in this cafe, just like Haruhi had wanted. I didn't need to check my watch. It was probably only minutes to eight by now, and I wondered what was taking Haruhi so long. The Brigade Chief should be setting an example by arriving at the destination early, shouldn't she?

Who was I kidding? Haruhi was the last person in the world capable of setting a decent example for anyone.

So as time passed, and I stared out the window aimlessly, I could slowly begin to feel a painful sensation erupting in my shoulder, enough to make me wince. It was the very same shoulder I had injured in the bike accident just a few days ago. I put my hand over the source of pain, but things only became more confusing for me.

The world began to shift back and forth right in front of my eyes. A terrible buzzing noise, like someone use a cheese grater on an electric razor, filled the air. It was like watching a TV set that was constantly losing reception, and my eyes quickly began to ache from the sight of so many bright colors at once. Finally, I could take it no longer, and I closed my eyes shut and turned away from the window.

And then a second later, the horrible noise stopped. The pain in my shoulder subsided like someone had just cast an instant healing spell on me. Slowly opening my eyes again, I took a look out the window, and became instantly enamored by what I saw.

Sitting alone was none other than Nagato. I wondered if I was seeing right. It wasn't really her presence that was surprising me. It was how she looked.

Nagato was not reading a book, and she wasn't dressed in her sailor uniform either. Instead, Nagato was wearing a very delicate-looking green dress that was very unlike her. Her shoes, which were the same brown ones all the girls from North High wore, were barely visible underneath the green ribbons that the dress ended in.

However, the strangest thing of all was that Nagato actually looked like she was waiting for something. Her expression was the same, blank and indifferent, but every few seconds she would slowly look back and forth.

Judging by her appearance and her change in demeanor, I could only wonder; just who the hell was Nagato waiting for?

My question was answered in a heart beat. Another person came into view, and almost instantly I could recognize him by that arrogant stride of his. The ever-smiling Koizumi approached Nagato, and she looked up at him as if he was another assortment of data particles for her to analyze. Or maybe it was more than that. I admit that I was a little too stunned by the whole situation to really figure it out.

Then I watched as Koizumi offered Nagato a hand, and surprisingly, the delicate alien girl took it. And to top it all off, I could swear that I saw something on Nagato's face that resembled a smile as Koizumi's hand took hers.

It was around this moment that I felt like going outside and giving Koizumi a piece of my mind. I wanted to tell him to drop the facade and leave poor Nagato alone. I was beginning to feel the same sensation that made me want to protect Asahina-san, and it made me want to punch Koizumi right in the nose and wipe that plastic smile off his face.

But I never got my chance, because the moment Nagato had gotten up from the bench, the terrible grating sound from before had returned, and the world began to shift again. Pain erupted in my shoulder, and my head spun from the confusion in front of my eyes. I covered my eyes again, praying for it to go away.

In another few seconds, the sound was gone, and I uncovered my eyes. However, even though I no longer had to deal with the terrible grating, something new, and probably equally as uncomfortable had come to take its place.

"Are you deaf? I've been saying your name for the last minute and you're just sitting there staring into space!"

Haruhi Suzumiya was in front of me now, and she had replaced the pleasing sight of Nagato in her green dress. To make things worse, I found out that when I glanced towards the window again, both Nagato and Koizumi were nowhere to be found. I blinked twice, wondering if I had been seeing things.

Haruhi, of course, wouldn't allow anyone ignoring her. She bonked me on the head with one of her fists.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, idiot!" I could only hope that her bad attitude didn't get us kicked out of the cafe.

"What's your issue today? I thought I saw Nagato and Koizumi outside. It looked like they were on a date or something."

Saying the word date and referring to Nagato and Koizumi made me tongue hurt. Haruhi just stared at me again, and I could easily tell by the look on her face that she thought I was just crazy.

"What did I say about getting those eyes of yours checked, huh? There's no way Yuki and Koizumi would date on my watch! They'd have to get permission from the Brigade Chief first! Only then would it be allowed!" Haruhi declared, and I held a sigh in, fearing that Haruhi would reprimand me for something else.

Of course you can't just go around and tell everyone who they can and can't date! Your power as Brigade Chief will only go so far, Haruhi.

For the next few minutes, Haruhi and I were pretty much silent as we waited for a waiter to bring us menus. Haruhi snatched mine away when we finally got them, declaring that I wasn't allowed to eat until she told me I could. She then went on to order a plate of nattō for herself before giving the menus back to our waiter. Haruhi's smile was so fake, at least to me.

I wondered why I was letting her deprive me from food in the first place. Even I had to admit that this level of nastiness was a a little much coming from Haruhi. So why did I just go ahead and myself starve? I guessed I was just too tired to even argue with her.

And so, we waited. With nothing useful to talk to Haruhi about, I just stared out the window again, praying that I might get a glimpse of either Nagato or Koizumi. It was strange, sitting here with Haruhi and being unable to discuss much with her. I could still remember asking her countless questions before my first period began, and back then, Haruhi was a little more interesting to me.

Perhaps she was losing her spark? Maybe I was just getting bored being around her and the rest of the SOS Brigade. It was true that nothing has really happened in the last few weeks. Sure, there was still the doomsday scenario she'd just created on the horizon, but something still felt missing to me. I wasn't feeling the usual excitement that Haruhi provided, and I wondered how long I'd last before this kind of thing drove me insane.

"Kyon."

Now what? I can't even even be allowed think to myself for a millisecond!

"What is it?" I asked, a bored look on my face. Haruhi's expression was far more serious than mine.

"I've been wondering something." she began, but I was only half-listening. "You remember when you first started talking to me? You know, before I cut my hair."

"Yeah, I guess." I practically mumbled. Of course I remember the day I met you, Haruhi. Who could forget a day like that?

"What made you want to talk to me?" she asked me.

For a second, I didn't really register what she was saying. When I did, I couldn't help but be a little surprised. For once, Haruhi was asking an insightful question. And I couldn't sense any anger in her voice either, so I decided it would be best to tread carefully with this conversation, since Haruhi might very well have some sort of ulterior motive.

"Well...I didn't have a specific reason. I mean, you were behind me, and I was bored. I figured talking to you would be a good way to pass the time."

That, of course, was a huge lie. It was no secret Haruhi was the attractive girl sitting behind me, and I might have had my own ulterior motives when I decided to talk to her on that fateful day. But I had no real desire to date her, despite what Taniguchi thought.

"You're lying. I can tell." Haruhi stated, and I could sense aggression in the tone of her voice.

"What makes you think I'm lying? Do you do this kind of thing to all the guys who've confessed to you in the past?" I said, and I could tell that my statement had offended Haruhi because I could see annoyance written all over face.

"Who's talking about those morons? I'm talking about you, Kyon. And I think I know why you decided to talk to me. In fact, I know exactly why." Haruhi told me, her voice brimming with hot self-confidence. If she gained anymore, I'd probably have to move away to avoid being burned.

"The day you decided to say something to me...what did you think of me? Were you like those other idiots? Did you just think I was another cute face to ask out on a date?"

I would be lying to you if I said that Haruhi's question didn't catch me at least a little off guard. Part of me was wondering why she was asking all these questions in the first place. I knew that Haruhi was a forward person, but this was beginning to get a little uncomfortable.

I began to wonder if Haruhi had wanted us alone today for good reason. But then I threw that thought into my mental garbage. Haruhi doesn't like me that way. She'd make it way more obvious. This is most likely just a stupid way for her to mess with me.

But despite the fact that my mind believed that Haruhi was messing with me, my mouth thought otherwise. Something was stopping from saying what I wanted to say.

Of course not, you foolish girl. You're so arrogant, you know that? Do you think that every guy who's ever spoken a word to you just wants to confess to you? Get your head out of the clouds already.

That's what I wanted to say. However, I couldn't say that. So as Haruhi waited for my answer, I sat there in silence, trying to force myself to say something. As time passed by, I began to realize why I could say nothing.

"Well?" Haruhi stated, and I could tell she was becoming very impatient. Why couldn't I say something already? Maybe it was because deep inside the confines of my mind, I knew perfectly well that the majority of the reason I had spoken to Haruhi in the first place was because she was exactly what she had said she was: a pretty face.

But there was more to it than that. I had become interested in the things Haruhi had said when she'd introduced herself to the rest of the class. Her declaration to meet time travelers, aliens and espers had intrigued me, even if I didn't make it obvious to her.

I wasn't going to tell her any of this. The last thing Haruhi needed was more reason to change the world. But based on the expression she was wearing, I knew she was expecting an answer from me one way or another.

Somehow, my salvation appeared right behind Haruhi. I made a small smile before the plate of nattō Haruhi had ordered was set right in front of her. She looked down at it with disdain, as if the food item had insulted her.

"Oh. Looks like your food's ready. You should go ahead and enjoy it." I told her, with an even bigger smile now.

* * *

Haruhi took the first bite with a pouting face, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that she was cute. Then again, I've always thought that. She just didn't need to know it.

When Haruhi was finally done eating her nattō with anger written all over her face, I paid our check and we made our leave. Sure, I had just paid for Haruhi to gorge herself, but it was a small price to pay. Thanks to the food and its convenient timing, Haruhi didn't get her answer out of me, and that probably saved this universe three times over.

As I walked outside with Haruhi, I figured that today wasn't going to be as bad as I had originally thought. She'd drag me around the city and probably charge me for something else. I'd survive.

"What...what's this!" Haruhi exclaimed, suddenly stopping in front of me just as we were exiting the cafe. Looking over her shoulder, I could see exactly what she was yelling about.

I felt like someone was playing a film reel in my head. Sitting on a bench in the same green dress, Nagato was fulfilling the strange vision I'd had earlier. She was looking back and forth, and unlike Haruhi, I knew who she was waiting for. Soon, Koizumi had approached Nagato, taking her by the hand in silence. There was only one difference between my vision and what I was seeing in front of me. Nagato didn't smile. Still, something in her eyes was different. There was something about the look on her face that seemed very unlike her. The problem was, I just couldn't put my finger on what exactly that thing was.

Koizumi taking Nagato's hand was the last straw. Haruhi couldn't stand it. She stomped towards the two of them, and her voice was so loud.

"Yuki-chan! Koizumi-kun! What's the meaning of this? You two are forbidden to date without my permission!" Haruhi roared. Koizumi and Nagato both looked at Haruhi with their usual expressions. Nagato was indifferent, and Koizumi wore his plastic smile.

Following Haruhi as discreetly as I could, I only hoped at a moment like this that she didn't put two and two together and accuse me of being esper. My vision had just predicted the future, and I certainly had no idea why.

"I understand your concern, Suzumiya-san, but this situation is not what it seems. Nagato-san and I aren't on a date. We were working on a research project together a week ago, and I promised I'd take her to lunch as thanks for all her help. You could say I'm just returning a favor." Koizumi said in response to Haruhi's yelling. I wondered if she was going to buy his explanation. I didn't one bit. It sounded like a huge lie coming from him.

"The scenery...it's unique." Nagato said quietly, and I could see that she was indeed admiring the scenery around us. At least, that's what it looked like. Still, I know I saw Nagato's smile before. Was she capable of lying too?

"Research project? Well, maybe I jumped to conclusions. All that nattō is probably messing with my head. Kyon! We're going to stop attending that cafe from this day forward!" Haruhi declared, and I could only shake my head in response to her statement.

"You're welcome to join us, Suzumiya-san. It'll still be a while until the restaurant opens, and your company always makes things interesting." Koizumi suggested, and his voice was so smooth that it made me want to vomit. I hated to hear him brown nosing Haruhi. The last thing she needed was more accolades.

"Of course we'll join you! Just who the hell do you think we are? We're the SOS Brigade, that's who! And that means we're sticking together till the end of time!" Haruhi exclaimed, and it was becoming obvious that her mood was beginning to improve. For me, that might not have been the best thing to happen...

"We wouldn't have it any other way, Suzumiya-san. It's a pity that Asahina-san couldn't join us today." Koizumi replied. Nagato was so close to him that they might as well be holding hands already. I'd be lying if I said it didn't annoy me at least a little.

"A pity..." Nagato nearly whispered.

I haven't seen Asahina-san at all for the last few days, and that was starting to bother me. I could only hope she was okay. The clubroom wasn't the same without her.

But as much as I hoped for Asahina-san, part of my mind was focused on Nagato and Koizumi, and part of it still couldn't forget Haruhi.

Those two better not actually be dating, and Haruhi better stop with the intrusive questions. I knew Haruhi had the capacity to be just a little more mellow than this, and it wasn't like I didn't have enough on my plate already.

As far as I was concerned, these people needed to give me time to refill my EX Meter already...

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that. Yes, people need to give some love to the Nagato/Koizumi pairing too. It's not that unlikely. But despite what it might seem, it isn't forced in this chapter. It has a purpose, as you will soon see...**


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter comin' at ya, party people! Enjoy it, cause God Knows I enjoyed writing it!**

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I'd be lying to you if I said that something wasn't missing from today's excursion. For the most part, the actors had taken the stage. The tender alien girl, the annoying esper philospher, the normal one that was myself, and the self-proclaimed goddess leading us all.

But that wasn't enough. There wasn't a beautiful time traveler among us, and that made me feel like there was a hole in my stomach. More accurately, it was like having a hole in my world.

Nevertheless, such a hole didn't seem to be stopping me. I walked alongside Koizumi, watching as Haruhi talked Nagato's ear off up ahead. Part of me was still stuck on Koizumi and Nagato's supposed date. One had denied it, and the other had said nothing; those were their usual responses to a lot of things. Still, I felt uncomfortable at the thought.

What the hell should I be worrying about? Nagato wouldn't be interested in a relationship, would she? And Koizumi is too concerned with his own self-image to drop his facade for someone else, even for a second. As far as I was concerned, I had nothing to worry about.

But there was still the Haruhi problem. That aching question she'd asked me earlier today. And somehow, I had found myself struggling to answer it. Was that because of all this divergence business, or was it because of me? Perhaps in an alternate world line, another Kyon had given her the truth. I guessed that among the multiverse of Kyons, I was probably the weakest.

"Thinking much?" the esper asked me, effectively breaking my train of thought. My face was indifferent, but I felt very annoyed. He had a habit of doing this kind of thing to me.

"I was imagining what it would be like to have abilities similar to yours." I lied. "Now that I think about it, they'd have probably helped me out more times than I could have counted."

Koizumi chuckled. "It would indeed be interesting. But something tells me you might want to stay as you are. You'd be surprised how much an esper has to handle on a daily basis."

I turned to face Koizumi, and I locked eyes with him. "Try me."

Another laugh from him, then a smile. I had seen this coming the moment he and Nagato had showed up. "Well, I can be honest with you now that Nagato-san has Suzumiya-san entertained. As you might have guessed, we are not on a date. Our reason for being here is related to recent events concerning the divergence more than anything else."

"So you're not on a date. Now I can rest easy at night knowing Nagato is still herself." I replied sarcastically.

"Though I find her to be a charming and interesting person, rest assured, there is nothing going on between us. I will admit that she has been acting a little differently lately, but I suspect it isn't much to worry over." Koizumi reassured me, but I could have sworn there was a small particle of doubt in his voice. Normally, one wouldn't be able to detect it, but having been around him so much, I was used to hearing his confidence at full blast all the time.

"Differently?" I asked, suddenly curious. Sure, I had seen Nagato act differently, but I wanted to hear Koizumi's point of view. It might give me a little insight on the divergence dilemma as a whole.

"She's just been very friendly to me lately. I imagine that her emotions might be developing faster than even those of us at the Organization could have predicted. But then again, we've never called ourselves experts at human interfaces."

I didn't see Koizumi as in expert in anything beyond his own organization, obscure theories, and Haruhi's emotional instability. For all I knew, his supposed lack of information could just be another wall he was putting up to hide his own important details.

"Maybe Nagato needs human companionship. Her boss might have made some changes in the interfaces as the whole." I suggested. However, the thought of Nagato wanting companionship from someone like Koizumi made me sick in the stomach.

"That's a possibility. Still, something tells me that the cause isn't related to Nagato's faction. My colleagues and I believe that these changes are directly connected to the divergence."

A possibility? It's probably true. Glancing ahead, I could see that Haruhi had her arm around Nagato's shoulders, and she was laughing about something. I felt jealous when I saw Haruhi like this. Sometimes I wished I had half the energy Haruhi possessed. She could be pretty happy, when things were going her way at least.

"I wouldn't worry yourself about it. I'm perfectly fine attending to Nagato. She's an interesting person, so being around her isn't something I can't handle." Koizumi told me, through his plastic smile and all. That feeling in my stomach hit me again. Koizumi calling Nagato an interesting person sounded oddly suspicious, especially coming from him. He didn't seem to want to describe her in another way. I wondered if that meant he really was hiding something.

"So where exactly are we heading?" I asked all of a sudden. We'd been walking for awhile, and it was around this time that I'd finally noticed that we'd had no true destination in mind. Glancing ahead again, I contemplated yelling out to Haruhi.

"I suspect there is no specific destination in mind. You know Suzumiya-san well enough by now; if something interesting comes up, she'll want to be involved in whatever that is. For now, we converse as we walk." Koizumi stated, and held back a sigh.

I figured Haruhi would make us walk for no reason. I checked my watch, and my face sunk as I realized the restaurant wouldn't be opening for another hour. I wondered how we could possibly kill an hour besides walking in a huge circle through the city before the restaurant opened.

"Hey!" Haruhi exclaimed all of sudden, "There's a poster on that front window. . .it says they're having a buy one get one free sale on all their sci-fi books. Now's that's a steal."

I looked in Haruhi's direction, and grimly acknowledged that she was right. I cursed my own wandering thoughts. They seemed to have a bad habit of coming true lately.

* * *

I could practically feel the pain my withered wallet was probably going through as I handed the exorbitant amount of yen to the cashier. What the hell was I doing? I glanced back at Haruhi, searching for an answer, but all I got was a wide smile from her. It felt like the books in her arms were laughing at my plight.

I had lost track of how many things I'd bought Haruhi over this last year. And after she told me about the eighth book she wanted to buy, I had kind of just given up. So here I was; watching as the cashier rung up eight sci-fi books that, despite being on sale, were costing me close to a fortune. I imagined my wallet choking for air in the fashion of an abandoned fish.

Supposedly these books were "research material", as Haruhi had put it. I didn't believe it. If anything, the books would get some use out Nagato, and not much else.

In that case, maybe buying them wasn't so bad. It was just a wonder that I still had any money left at all.

"Do you feel satisfied now, Suzumiya-san?" Koizumi asked as we headed towards the front of door of Matsumoto Books. I grimaced behind Koizumi, and contemplated pulling him by the hair. Damn him! It wasn't his money that was going down the drain!

"You could say that. . ." Haruhi commented with a smile, flipping through one of the eight sci-fi novels she, or more accurately I, had just purchased. Haruhi's happiness was costing me quite a bit, and you'd have to be a fool to think I was enjoying any of it.

Next to Haruhi, Nagato had been making it plainly obvious that she was very interested in the books Haruhi had just acquired. Every other moment, Nagato's eyes focused on the book Haruhi was flipping through, and then in the next moment, she'd turn her gaze away. It was almost as if she was too shy to ask Haruhi if she could see, or maybe she might be afraid that Haruhi would have trouble sharing. Either way, even I had to admit Nagato's behavior was pretty cute.

My eyes switched to Koizumi with the speed of a samurai sword. That smile of his was like some sort of vile poison, and I didn't want him spreading any of it to Nagato.

"Would you like one, Yuki-chan?" Haruhi asked suddenly, surprising Nagato enough to make the alien girl look up.

Nagato remained silent as she put out one delicate hand in front of her. She looked like she was asking Haruhi for a handout. I watched this interesting display, wondering what Haruhi's response would be. As if trying to contradict my thoughts at every turn, Haruhi beamed at Nagato before handing her one of the books from the bag.

"You can keep it. Consider it a gift for all your hard work." Haruhi said enthusiastically. Nagato held the book close and looked up at Haruhi with wide eyes. Her voice was quiet, but she sounded grateful.

"A gift. . . I will keep it undamaged."

Koizumi's words echoed in my thoughts. The more I thought about it, the more I began to acknowledge that Nagato had been different recently. Her mannerisms seemed the same, but it seemed like tiny specks of emotion were always trying to escape through her words.

Was Nagato trying to keep it under control? I could make an educated guess and assume that was true.

* * *

I'll be frank: the restaurant really wasn't that great. At least, it wasn't to me. Haruhi raved about it once we were done eating, but part of me suspects that the whole fiasco had just been a way for Koizumi to get praise from her. As if the bastard didn't get enough praise from her in the first place.

I didn't enjoy the food very much, and I barely had enough cash left to pay for myself in the first place.

Maybe part of the reason I was sick to my stomach during the meal was because I had to sit across from Haruhi. Maybe her constant talking bothered me, or maybe it was just because I felt uncomfortable the whole time. Those thoughts hadn't left my head; I was still raging inside over why I couldn't answer Haruhi's question in the morning.

Then again, maybe part of the reason I was so sick was because of the way Nagato had kept looking at Koizumi during the whole meal. Not once did she turn to face Haruhi and I in the few instances she said anything to us, and that had annoyed me greatly. I understood she was an interface, and many human behaviors weren't really a part of her directive, but I hated it anyway. If it was anyone but Koizumi sitting in front of her, then it would have been much more tolerable.

So by now, I imagined I'd be sick of Haruhi. Once the meal was over, I imagined I would just run back home and relax as much as I possibly could.

Thinking back on all of these thoughts, I couldn't help but be in disbelief when I found myself voluntarily walking Haruhi home. Koizumi and Nagato had departed together after lunch, thanking the both of us for joining them. Shortly after, Haruhi had stated she was done for the day, and had asked me if I'd like to join her on her way home.

I had agreed, for some reason. Maybe I still felt bad for not answering Haruhi's question earlier in the day. I wondered if some punishment was waiting for me back at the clubroom on Monday, just because I hadn't answered that question. It was quite the unsettling thought.

And now here I was; walking with Haruhi Suzumiya as the sun began to set overhead. Haruhi hadn't found a reason to stop bouncing ideas around since we started our meal back at the restaurant. This time, I didn't really mind.

"So I think I already said this one. . . the ISOS Brigade!" Haruhi declared, pumping one fist in the air as I walked beside her. I would have joined her, but my hands were more comfortable in the warmth of my jacket pockets. The cool air wasn't really as nice as Haruhi thought it was.

"ISOS?" I asked in an attempt to entertain her. As usual, it worked.

"The I stands for International. Imagine hundreds of SOS Brigades all over the world! A branch for evey major country. . .with ours being the biggest and most important of them all."

The look on Haruhi's face was happy enough to make the grumpiest of the Seven Dwarfs laugh. I allowed myself to chuckle, hoping it would just give Haruhi a reason to continue and hopefully forget about whatever punishment she might still be planning for me.

"Sounds like an idea for an anime. Maybe you should write some of this down." I suggested, but Haruhi's expression showed that she definitely didn't agree.

"This idea can't be contained in a simple anime, and it can't be written down either. Life is not something that can be turned into a book. Events can't be categorized, no matter how hard those historians try. They must be lived through for someone to truly understand and cherish them! The ISOS Brigade will just keep on living even after I'm gone, and people won't ever have to write it down." Haruhi told me. I'd be lying if I said the thought of a world without Haruhi wasn't scary. Despite what my thoughts said, I had to admit I needed her a little. There would be no excitement without Haruhi, and I knew by now that I didn't want to go back to a life without excitement.

"That's an interesting way to see it. You should write that down too." I suggested again, but Haruhi just berated me.

"Not everything needs to be put in writing, idiot."

I chuckled again, trying to brush her bad mood off me. "Whatever you say."

Soon enough, Haruhi stopped in front of what I assumed was her house. Naturally, I came to a halt as well, it was about this time that I readied myself to bid Haruhi farewell.

"So here we are." I said, waiting for a response. A few seconds passed, but Haruhi said nothing. She had her back to me, and I wondered if she was thinking or something.

Haruhi turned around, and her face looked strangely somber. I was taken aback by what she said next.

"Kyon. . .did you ever want to date me that day? Did you ever have a motive like that when you first spoke to me?"

Her voice was so honest, and it made feel extremely uncomfortable. I put a hand on my chest, and it felt like my heart was beating fast enough that it could beat the Mach 5 without even scratching an aorta. Looking down at Haruhi, I replied to her in a low voice.

"Well. . .I have trouble recalling. I'm not exactly sure what my reason was. Maybe in time. . .it'll come back to me." I lied, wondering if Haruhi would buy it. I heard her say something quietly in response.

"Oh. I understand." she whispered, and without waiting for my goodbye, Haruhi turned away from me and headed to her front door. Watching her leave just made my chest hurt even more, as if I was feeling the terrible effects of a debuff spell cast on me.

As I watched Haruhi close her front door behind her, I couldn't help but wonder. . .had I given her the answer she was looking for?

A scarier question would be. . .was that the answer I was supposed to have given her?

* * *

Haruhi was absent today. . . that thought hadn't left my head even as the school day ended. I'll be honest; I hadn't been feeling well since Saturday. I'd been constantly wanting to vomit, but when I tried, I couldn't. It was as if guilt had become a vicious chestburster that had decided to make me suffer rather then kill me through its gory birth. Perhaps the clubroom could provide me solace for now, if anything else.

I was greeted by the esper the moment I walked through the room. His smile didn't feel so annoying all of a sudden.

"You're here, and with good timing. There are matters we all have to discuss with you, Kyon-kun."

One sight in particular made my heart skip a beat. Clad in her maid attire, Asahina-san had returned, and that sweet smile of hers helped lift my spirits.

"It's nice to see you again, Kyon-kun." she told me with the tone of a five-year old. When I had taken a seat, Nagato surprisingly acknowledged me.

"Welcome. . ." she said quietly. I gave her a smile she didn't seem to notice. I was fine with that though, more thankful that Nagato was greeting me at all more than anything else.

"So what's Haruhi's problem now?" I asked lazily. I still felt sick to my stomach, and part of me didn't want to hear what Koizumi had to say. Haruhi was a popular topic lately, and I was getting tired of it.

"You may have trouble believing my next few words. . ." he said to me, his face as serious as ever. I wasn't in the mood for waiting.

"Just tell me. This probably isn't my best day."

Koizumi chuckled. "I can see that. Well, I'll make it as clear as I can. Haruhi Suzumiya has been begun experiencing the emotion classified as love."

My sickness had drained away, now replaced by worry. And I just loved being worried when it came to anything Haruhi-related.

In the back of my mind, something was telling me I had made a grievous mistake in this past week. More focused on Koizumi's emerging explanation, I pushed the little voice out of my head.

It was probably nothing. . .


End file.
